Laundry collar-finishing machine



Juy 6 1926.

T. NRDROP ET AL.

LAUNDRY COLLAR FINISHING MACHINE Filed April 14 1924 July 6 1926. 1,591,931

T. WARDROP ET AL LAUNDRY COLLAR FINISHING MACHINE Filed April 14. 1924 8 sheets-sheet July 6 1926.

1,591,931 v'l'. WARDROP ET AL LAUNDRY COLLAR FINISHING MACHINE Filed April 14. 1924 e sheets-sheet 4 1 3 5 9, t m W h 5 S 9 11 S .Tv nu e h s 8 E N I H ...m

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T. WARDROP ET AL LAUNDRY COLLAR FINISHING MACHINE Filed April 14' 1924 Aa sheets-sheet e July 6 1926.

T. WRDROP ET AL LAUNDRY COLLAR FINIsHlNG MACHINE 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 Fled April 14. 1924 M 10N IQIIII July 6 1926.

T. WARDROP ET AL LAUNDRY COLLAR FINISHING MACHINE Filed April 14. 1924 e sheets-sheet s Patented July 6, 19255.

THOMAS W'ARDB AND JOHN CHANT, OF IvNCI-IESTER, ENGLAND.

. LAUNDRY CGLLAR-FNXSHING MACHINE.

Application filed April 14, 1924, Serial No. 706,500, and in Great Britain April 2'6, 1923.

VThis invention refers to the laundry finishing of double-fold collars after being Washed, starched and ironed in the flat, and consists of a machine through .,vhich said collars may be. subjected to a series of successive operations, the machine allo-Wing for variations in curvature and size of collars, both before and after folding. ln one example of said machine, the collars are first dampened alongside the seam, then folded along the dampened portion, then ironed at the fold, and finally curled. In another example, the collars are first dampened alongside the seam, then folded along the dampened portion and finally ironed at the fold. in a further example, the collars are first folded (having been previously dampenedl by hand or in another machine) then ironed at the fold and finally curled, Y. ln a linen or other double-fold collar, the seam which connects the inner with the outer thickness follows a curved path from end to end of the collar, the radius of which is l rp'e when in the flat, but which is some- 'what less when the collar is folded, and still less when curled. Further, some collars have very little curve, While others have a very pronounced curve.v The curve also varies with the size or make of collar.

Any continuous treatment of double-fold collars to be successful has to make allowance for the dideiences in radii. size and make, and both in the fiat, and after folding, and this, apart from other difculties, is not easy of accomplishment.

in a machine madeaccording to the present invention, provision is successfully made lfor allowing' of the said variations in curvature or differences in size or make of collars, and also the changes of radii the collarspass from one operation to another, and by'enabling the Vcollars to be treated continuously,fand Without the intervention of hand labour, the collars can be treated more rapidly than heretofore.

According` to the invention, the machine in one example comprises a dampener preferably lof the rotary type, arranged to dampen a collar While in the flat alongside the seam, and either on the top face only, or on both the top and bottom faces, or bottom face only. The dampener is mounted above the machine table and resting on the table is a guide which lies in such relation to the dampener that a collar inthe flat fed iassed and automatically` endvvise to the dampener is supported and led by the guide to the dampener. Said guide may also serve to impart a slight initial fold to the collar. `When the dampener is of the rotary Wheel type it also serves to feed the collars through the machine, but when the dampener is of other than the rotary type, separate feed rollers or Wheels v Will be provided.

Following the dampener is a folder7 which as areollar passes forward, folds it along the dampened part next the seam, the

degree of fold being preferably such as to cause thc inner and outer thicknesses of the collar to lie at an angle of about 19 to each other. lis it leaves the folder, the collar is acted upon by an ironer7 Which fur# therl folds the collar and also irons the fold to give it the required roundness and polish.

of the curler rollers, Where all but the fold `of the collar'can be acted upon by the rollers. Adjacent guiding surfaces help to hold the collars to the plate as they move forward.

The "curler7 is preferably of akind which permits of the curled collars leavingl the curler rollers in a downward direction, and in such connection further guiding surfaces are provided to cause the curled collars to pass downwards, and finally drop into a basket or other receptacle.

The dampener and folder lie in positions relatively to each other which ensure that the collars, as they emerge from the damp ener, shall easily pass into engagement with the parts of the folder in the right path and said positions are also such that that portion of a collar between the damp-ener and folder is of a length such as to give a degree of flexibility sufficient to accommodate an almost straight collar and a collar with a pronounced curve. rlhe ironer and curler are similarly disposed to accommodate the smaller curvature of a collar after folding` and ironing, as also the intermediate guide plate. Usually the positions of the dampener and folder will be li the path of a curve approximating to the average curve of loo the seam of a maiis double the fiat, and the positie-ns oi curler will be in the proxinniting to air-rage cu collar at'ter foldingl but b rl`he machine -will be hand or i driven. rl`he dainpener tit of th rotar:y type), the nievable part ot the ironer, the curler rollers vvill be driven at speeds at which the collars Y not be subjected to any and e tension at any part and vfill smoothly through tlie machine.

TLlpon the acc inpanying diagiiaiiis: 1

Fig. l illustrates a side elevation (partly broken away) and 0 a plan oi' a double-fold collar ioldiiig, ironing and curling 3 illustrates a front view7 a plan, and

l Zi a sectioi al side elevation on line :vf-iv ot Fig. 3 ot a guide used with the dampener, and

Figs. t5 and i illustrate iront and views respectively or the collar folder.

Fig. tl illustrates a side elevation, and

Fig. Sl an end elevation ot a collar ironer and iis support7 the latter being iii section.

Fig. o 'line-.trates a side elevation7 pa 'tly breiten a way, and

ll a plan ot the improved machine Without the curling mechanism.

Figs. l2 and 13 are like views oi the inachine ivithout the danipener.

lei'crring to Figs. l and 2, the machine therein shoivn comprises an elongated stand or table. l with its top tace level and suitable 'loi' carrying the main Working partis, the mechanism -tor driving said parts being arranged below the table top. it one end or' said table is arranged the collar dampcner, consisting ot' tivo Wheels 2, 3, ruiming one above but slightlyvv out ot' the plane ot the other. rl`he ivheel El is a single disc, but the wheel 2 is composed ot' tvo discs (o a disc and a llange) and an ii'iteraiediate 'lelt or like porous washer (see Fig. one oi" said discs being adjustable relative y to the other disc in order to compress the porous 'fasher to anyv desired extent. The shaft l carrying the Wheel is hollow and at its other end is connected through a suitable gland box 5 and pipe with a ivater reserroir T. lilith ivater Yt'rec to flow to the vasher the latter becomes saturated, and deposits a lilm ol water on, and meistens the surface with which the Wheel contacts.

ln'm'iediatclj.' in front of the dampener wheels, is a guide or support 8 for supportin;r the lorivard cnd ot' the collar, While bcing` icd to the dainpeiier Wheels. and above said guide or support are means for holding the collar down and in contact With the support. The support is preferably slightl7 olding the collar down which i co "i a l'orked pi'e r foot t), inipains slig t initial told to the collar as it tampener, such initial leiding ing help'lul n giving the collar a natural l tcndencjl.v to travel in the line ot' its iolo "idc the seam.

ne presser loot 9 is carried by a rod il", 'the under laces ot' its tivo parallel iai-is iich lie to rif l vfhcel 3.

it and left 0i the are levelled, scc Fig. 5, by which and the guide i5 and wheel l the ai'orcsaid initial leiding is eil'ected. B v means ot a small l; lll on 'the presser root the loci-r r is turned up ont ot the line o'i' ier Wheels, as the collar moves -ai a id the locl7 meets the hevelled l0 ot said hlocli, thereby preventing lo-cl: being dampened.

The shaft l of the rotar)v dainpeiier .vheel journalc:Y at one part in a bearing li lunar)v brackets l2 and at an- .otGti lil e orner in a bearing l capable ot' risingl- 'a-.inig in the s atioiiary bearing brachi regulaiable spring l5 serves to hold the bearing ifi against. an top lo, see Fig. l. rrhereb)v the )ener roller i is caused normally to the wheel 5:3. lo'pon thc shall L bottom dampener wheel 3 is a gear i 'heel 18 which gears with sltev: Wheel i9 carried on a short e 2U below trie table top. Upon said d in one with or coinectcd to thc is a vorm Wheel 2l adapted lo and receive motion troni a worin d th Yl'roin e iu to end oft the machine.

Yf', V L .i lwi'zt f 'C l ,x1 :LL ixe, ed to tiie sii a iM a spin n itc which inesiies with a like wheel on the lower shalt li'. the

teeth of these wheels being sailis hold down the side parts. I and with the 'flanges heated is folded to the extent required istened part.

'llo assist in guiding a comparativclji.' slrafelt t small guide 2li 's provided. said coi ing ot a o et metal 'with its lower part secured to ed b v the main sha'it ill extending llO y ing of `the told.

'latable spring 33. A regulatable stop the table of the machine and its upper' part lying at an angle to the plane ot' the wheel 25, the vertical part also being inclined upwardly (Fig. l) towards the wheel Q5 to ensure ot' the collar being guided on to such wheel.

As clearly shown in l'ig. 2, the dainpening wheel shatts and the disc wheel shafts other than parallel and in the enainple shown lie at an angle to each other ot about 190 which has been found to give satisfactory results, the dainpener wheels and disc wheel occupying the positions shown.

The disc wheel is driven through worin `rid worin wheel Qb gearing trein the Shari 2s.

Alongside the gas-heated folder box Q5 is a Vfurther gas-heated box Q9 constituting the ironer, said box being carried at the end 'ofi' a lever-like part 30, tulcruined on a pin carried by a stand or support 32 on the inachine table. The underside of the ironer box is made saddle shape see Fig'. 8, ane

tits astride the periphery ot the disc wheel 25. At the entrance of the ironer nent the folder, therironer is bevelled inv-.iardly, sce 8, the width or angle et the groeve be ing slightly less than that ot the folder. Aatherei'fore a Vcollar leaves the folder and. is vcarried forward by the wheel 25, the collar is further folded, and simultaneously the ironer effects t ie required ironing and glaz- The ironer free to rise and tall:y but held vieldinglv against the collar bv a r .i J

- serves to lreep the ironer clear of the disc wheel when no collars are passing.

The folder and ironer boxes are hea-ted by a gas-burner coininon to both,rthe holes in the ends ot the box 29 being' large enough to allow oi the hex moving vertically. On the stand 32 ineans are provided for sup-porting the supply pipe `Electric heating ineans inay be used in place o't gas.

The periphery ot' the disc wheel 25 is comparatively thin and rounded, the other and the be portions or" the wheel being thicker, see

As the collar leaves the ironer it passes toi-ward to the curler which is arr an appropriate distance theretroin. and such as to suit the shortest rnalrc cf collar. rhe curler comprises three rollers 87, 38 Vthe spindles of which are carried by brackets 39, 40, respectively, the braclret ll() being stationary and lined to cross-bridge 'acliet 39 being hingedly inount ed on a further bracket also secured to the cross-bridge el. tl'

r he spindles 'ot L le rollers 37, 38 at their top ends are provided with gear wheels d3. Vand the spindle ot' the roller is provided a-t its top end with a gear wheel 45, this latter norinally ineslaing with the wheels e3, el under the tension ot' a spring flG. The rollers 3T, S8 are rubber-covered,while the roller 36 which is ot smaller dianieer, is a plain polished instal roller. it their top ends the rollers are shouldered down or bevelled, in order to leave space tor the told of the collar when missing between the rollers.

lhe `pindle ot the roller 38, entends downi -rds into the table l, and rotatably fits a toot-step bearing fl-T. Keyed to said roller spindle is a worin wheel e8, which gears 'with a worin 4-9 on the niain shaft 23.

llncircling the rollers 37, 38 is an endless ca vas or like belt 50, which also engages a iochey or tensioning pulley 5l, carried by a lever 52 controlled by spring The canvas or other belt being in tension bears the roller 36, and the spring -l-S holds the roller 35 and canvas halt o in inst the rEhe folded and ironed coll. leaving the ironer, passes 'forward to the cn er and on its way is supported and .led in slightly upwards direction by a :ed plate 523, the upper edge of which is ined or set atan angle, the highest part hen 2' next the rollers, and such highest part being' on a levelwith the shouldered upper parts oi said rollers, see Fig. l.

The plate 53 is other than straight looled at in plan (Fig. 2), and is thereby adapted to guide the collars in a path agreeable with the. curvature ot the collar alter ironing andbefore curling. To counteract any tendency ol the collar to drop after leaving the ironer, the latter is arranged slightly in ad vance ot the highest part oit the disc wheel which has the smeet ot tilting the advancing end ot' the collar upwards. To further guide the collars, additional guide plates 54, and 55, are provided which also help to con trol the passage ot the collars as they approach the curling rollers.

@n reaching the curling rollers a folded and ironed collar passes between the rolle' 36 and the canvas belt 50, and is carried between the rollers 36, 37 and 38 which under the tension ot the spring flG, 'flatten n or squeeze the two thicknesses ot the collar together (except at the told) and thereby complete the folding operation. At the saine tinie, the rollers owing to their disposition and owing `also to the 'tact that the roller l rotates at a slightly slower peripherai'speed than the rollers El?, 38 impart a curl to the collar as a whole.

As the collar leaves the roller it tends to follow a circular path, and if let't unrestricted would tend to again pass between the rollers, but to prevent this and to allow its forward endto pass its tail, and also to enable the collar to leave the rollers, a conical blocl: 56 is provided around which the collar travels, and by which and a conical sheet metal guide 57, the collar is directed. downwards in a spiral path7 the pitch ot which is such that the forward end ot the collar passes below its tail end and the collar linally talls into the chute 5S and from thence into a basket. rfhe block 5G is adj ustably screwed to the bracket 39 and the guide 57 is secured to the table top.

Delivering the curled collars spirally down vards does not all'ect the curled set given to the collars by the curler rollers.

Owing to the lshouldered down parts oi" the curler rollers. the told of the collar is not acted upon by the rollers, but remains round instead ot sharp. The curler roller spindles will preferably be lubricated by solid grease lubricant arranged within the bearings in such manner as to prevent the lubricant reaching the outer suriaces of the rollers.

The guides 53 and 55 (as shown in chain lines in Fig. l) are cut away at the parts next the table to allow room tor the collar to pass below it as it descends into the chute. rlhe guide plate 55 is slightly higher than the guide plate 53 and both guides 5l, 55 incline towards the top or the guide 53, see Fig. 2. The main shaft 23 is driven trom the power shait 55) through bevel wheels 60 and on the power shalt a pulley (il and controlling clutch (not shown).

The peripheral speeds ot' the dampener rollers, ironer disc wheel, and curler rollers will be approximately uniform except the roller which as atoresaid runs at a slightly lower peripheral speed for the purpose of giving curl to the collar. rl"he amount ot moisture delivered by the dampener wheel 2 may be regulated by the tap or by the nuts 5 and the adjustable disc part ot the wheel, a small collar 5 and ring 5C ot' packing being provided to prevent leakage along the screwed part ot the wheel shaft. Holes are drilled in the wheel shatt to allow the water to reach the porous washer.

Suitable guards will be provided for the gear wheels oi the dampener and also 'tor the gear wheels ot the curier rollers.

The lower dampener wheel may run in a small depression in the table top l and said depression may have at its lowest point pipe tor carrying away any excess water, which may drain into a cup placed below such pipe. l "hilst preferring to use a rotary dampener, any other and suitable kind ot' dampener may be employed; further, a rotary dampener ot' other than the particular construction described may be used. it inoditied construction ot folder. ironer or rurler may also be used in place of that described, the essential feature otl this invention being a machine which allows o1" dampening, lolding. ironing and curling being performed as al continuous operation in the manner described.

Although the machine is designed for carrying out the operations of dampening,

folding, ironing and curling, it will be understood that it may be used for certain of' the operations only, viz: dampening, tolding and ironing or folding, ironing and curling.

ln Figs. lt) and ll the machine is without the curling mechanism, while in Figs. l2 and lll the machine is without the dampener. These nioditications are substantially the same as the corresponding parts ot the complete machine, and do not call tor any further description.

ll'hat we Claim is:-

l. .fr machine tor laundry-tinishing double-told collars comprising a table, a rotary dampener on said table and near one end, collar guide in front ot' said dampener, a collar felder to the rear ot' said dampener, and a collar ironer next vthe folder, these latter comprising a large rotary disc and two inverted channel-shaped metal blocks, one overlying the highest part ot the disc, and the ether partly overlying said disc and e;;tendii towards the dampener and its sides bein5 curved downwards from the end next the dampen-er. the axis ot the said disc being inclined in plan to the axis ot' the dsnipeucr. a series of curling rollers at that end or tbe taine 'farthest from the danipener. between which the collars7 at'ter being ironed at the told, pass and by which they are given a curled set, guides l'or leading the collars i'roin the ironer to thel curling rollers, and iurtlier guides for directing the curled col* lars as they leave the rollers and causing them to have a downward movement, as set forth.

2. )i machine for laundry tinishing double-told collars. comprising a dampener, a folder comprising a rotary disc wheel and a heated saddle-shaped member, part ol which lies astride the disc wheel, an ironer comprising a Vlurther heated saddle-shaped member also lying asti-ide the said dise wheel, the shalts ot the damiliener wheels being inclined to the shatt ot the disc wheel in plan. and the danipener wheels and disc wheel being arranged in positions which cause the collars to pf :s Vi'rom one to the other in the line otl the seam, an arrangement oi curler rollers. guides between the ironer and curlcr rollers Vtor guiding the folded and ironed collar between the rin-ler rollers while these latter squeeze the collar and impart a curled set to the collar. and mechanism lior rotating the daiupener wheels, ironer disc wheel. and curler rollers at appropriate p ipheral speeds, substantially as herein set forth.

Pi. ln a machine tor laundry finishing dou ble 'told collars a danipener consisting ot' two rotary wheels one mounted above but slightly out or the plane of the other. and one comprising two discs one otl which is relatively lixed and the other adjustable, an

lll)

intermediate porous Washer, and means for compressing the Washer, the shaft of the Wheel being hollow and connected With a reservoir for the supply of Water to the Washer and the shaftof one Wheel being mounted in pivoted and sliding bearings7 whereby said Wheel may be yieldingly held against the other Wheel, or the collar between said Wheels, under the action of a spring, substantially as herein set forth.

4f. In amaehine for laundry nishing double fold collars7 a rotary dampener, a folder and ironer lying one immediately in advance of the other, and each comprising a heated saddle-shaped member and a large disc wheel common to both, the folder being stationary and the ironer being yieldingly and adjustably supported, above the dise Wheel, and said dampener, disc Wheel and heated members being arranged successively in the path of the dampened part of a collar passing through the machine, as set forth.

5. In a machine for laundry finishing double fold collars, dampeningWheels.` a guide and support immediately in front of the dampener Wheels on which the collars in a flat starched state are supported While being fed bet-Ween the dampcner Wheels, the guide being arched transversely and inclined longitudinally and provided with a fixed presser foot, the guide and presser foot in addition to guiding the collars serving to slightly arch the collars previous to dampening, substantially as herein set forth.

6. ln a machine for laundry nishing double fold collars the combination with arotary dampener of a folder comprising a dise Wheel and a saddle-shaped part lying astride a porion of the periphery of the disc Wheel, and means for rotating the disc Wheel synchronously with the dampener, an ironer cooperating With the disc Wheel, the dampener, folder and ironer being arranged successivelv in the path of a part of a collar passing 

